Things I Like

Sometimes I am totally overwhelmed by the sheer volume of awesome things I come across on the daily. I try so hard to remember allllllllll the things I wanna tell you about because they plain old strike my fancy, but then I get distracted by things like baking bread or eating ice cream sandwiches.

One day I came across this proposal video. I watched it twice. Then I made Chad watch it. Also I cried. Don’t judge me.

I’m so ready for fall I can hardly even stand it. I want to wear things like THIS.

I’m a teensy bit obsessed with these… like I think I need to make them yesterday…

Photo Courtesy of Undressed Skeleton

And going back to indisputably true things… I really like it when my little Evan leaves me reminder notes taped all over the house or my Andrew sends me text messages just because he wants to talk to me… about nothing really in particular. I really like it when they solicit my approval on their Crayola masterpieces or beg me to join a card game, or pick me flowers from the yard to tuck behind my ear. I really, really, REALLY like alla that.
Also!! When the little boys rave over my baked goods it’s like a badge of honor.

Which is a little bit weird because baked potatoes, while pretty good and definitely falling on the list of things I like, don’t really qualify as addictive. Something happens to potatoes when you scoop out the fleshy middle (and save it for hash browns) and replace that middle with cheese.

It might be the bacon that sits on top of the cheese that puts these things over the moon. Or the sour cream that goes on top of the bacon. It could be the slight oniony crunch of scallions or chives or the chewy but crisp bite to the potato.

More than likely, it is all of these things, wrapped up into a few bites of deliciously satisfying appetizer goodness. What’s not to like about all that ?
There is SO MUCH to like about loaded potato skins that this pile grew and grew.

Then it disappeared really fast.

This morning my mind is pretty much stuck on sugary breakfasts (like those pop tarts I showed you before), so before I tell you all about how to make potato skins (which are a decidedly un-sugary breakfast food), I need to show you one more thing I like.

photo courtesy of Joyful Baker

I like these Overnight Cinnamon Rolls so much that I really wish I’d remembered to make them last night. I’m pretty sure they would more than drastically improve my morning. Coffee cake couldn’t hurt either.

Oh! When you make yourself that pile of potato skins don’t forget that ranch dressing is important on the side. It helps the celery sticks. And while you eat, you should totally watch THIS.

Loaded Potato Skins

Ingredients

Russet (or other thick-skinned, good for baking) potatoes, smallish in size and thoroughly scrubbed. I look for potatoes that, when halved, could be eaten in about 3-4 bites.

olive oil

kosher salt

shredded cheddar cheese

bacon, cooked and crumbled

sour cream

green onions or chives

coarsely ground black pepper

ranch dressing (for dipping)

To Make

Preheat the oven to 400. Rub the potatoes all over with the olive oil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven (but leave the oven on, reducing the heat to 350). Let the potatoes cool, cut them in half, and leaving a little flesh all the way around (don’t scoop all the way down to the skin), scoop the middle out of the potatoes. Set the potato middles aside for something delicious like hash browns.

Rub the insides of the potatoes with the olive oil and then sprinkle with the kosher salt. Line the halves up on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese into the hollowed middles of each potato. Then the crumbled bacon. Bake for another 10 minutes or so, watching for the cheese to melt but not burn. the potatoes will become a little more chewy and a bit crisp at the edges.

Spoon sour cream onto each potato half and then sprinkle with green onions.

This post made me smile, especially the bit about your boys and the bit about coffee cake. Love anything coffee flavoured. Why everyone hates the coffee chocolates in the box I’ll never know, but ha! because it just means all the more for me! I’m loving my last weeks of Summer hols, but starting to look forward to mashed potato and evenings with a blanket instead of air con and mashed potato and dark nights and warming food after work…like, erm, mashed potato (did I mention that)!

Mmmmmmm mashed potatoes. Potatoes don’t really do it for me in the summer. It’s that hot steamy fluffy potato-ey thing, I guess. But oh! When it’s cold. Love me some potatoes. These were Chad’s birthday request and I’m just now getting them posted. Potato skins and chicken wings. I am also a coffee-anything-aholic. Yep. Can’t get enough. My little boys are priceless. I know I’m partial because they are mine, but really… I could not even begin to list all the things they do that make my heart swoon 🙂

haha are you having some cravings or what??? lol Those pop tarts look pretty yumtastic!!! That’s for sure!!! I used to love Wendy’s baked potatoes those were so good I’d load them up with everything mmmmm!!! Other than that I can’t remember the last time I had a potato skin, but these look yummy!!!! P.S. I wish I could wear boots those look bad a$$!!!

I actually have that exact pair of boots. Target Yeah! I need to make the boot socks. You CAN wear boots! I thought I couldn’t either, but you really just have to shop around for a style that’s looser in the leg. Boots are soooo fun. I don’t remjember the last time I ate potato skins either, but these were yummy super good. It’s rare that Chad makes a kitchen request, but I was so glad he asked for these!

I was so shocked that more people didn’t comment on the links I posted here. That list cracked me the ef up. And that marraige proposal? Seriously? So cute I can’t stand it. And Kristen Wiig. Maybe my sense of humor is off base… thanks for getting it.